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Legislation sponsored by Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman (R-Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon) to protect critical facilities against power loss during emergencies was advanced by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee.

Legislation sponsored by Sen. Kip Bateman to protect critical facilities against power failure was advanced by a Senate Panel. (Flickr)

“There are certain facilities throughout the state that provide crucial services and can’t afford to experience a power outage during an emergency,” Senator Bateman said. “This will allow them to continue operations and perform their duties even if the rest of the area has gone dark.”

This will modernize our electrical grid and strengthen it against any future failures or attacks. https://t.co/rWAjebdFG9

The legislation, S-881, allows the Board of Public Utilities to establish a microgrid pilot program for municipalities, in order to equip public and private facilities deemed critical by the State Office of Emergency Management during a declared disaster or state of emergency with microgrids to protect their access to electrical power.

A microgrid is a small-scale electrical grid that can operate independently from the main grid thanks to an on-site generation facility. Thanks to the ability to function when the main grid is down, microgrids minimize disturbances, improve response times and aid in the recovery of service.

“Past emergencies like Superstorm Sandy have shown us just how important it is to keep important services up and running when the worst part of the disaster hits,” Senator Bateman said. “This will modernize our grid and strengthen it against any future failures or attacks.”